Sorry, this movie sucks

Don't listen to the negative reviews

best movie i've ever seen.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

PRC thriller has a few things going for it. First, John Carradine in one of his rare starring roles. Carradine was proud of his performance and he should have been. He's excellent. Second, the radiant Jean Parker. She always had a sweet gentility about her. Such a beauty. Third, director Edward G. Ulmer, who deservedly has a cult following. He uses quite a few interesting angles and techniques, never letting his limited budget stop him from being creative. There's a great moody atmosphere to this film, due in large part to his use of shadow and music. There's also a good supporting cast, including Nils Asther as the inspector on Bluebeard's trail, Ludwig Stossel as the disreputable accomplice of Bluebeard, and the beautiful Teala Loring as the sister of Jean Parker's character. Speaking of sisters: Loring was the sister of actresses Lisa Gaye and Debra Paget. Talk about good genes!

Bluebeard (1944) ** (out of 4) Paris is attacked with fear as a serial killer begins bumping off women and throwing their bodies into the river. It turns out that the killer is actually Gaston Morrell (John Carradine), a supposed kind puppeteer who has many secrets including an issue with women that leads to all the killings. He eventually falls for a dancer (Jean Parker) and it doesn't take too long for her to realize that something isn't right with the guy. I'll admit that I'm rather confused at some of the positive reviews this film has gotten over the years. That's not to say that this is a bad movie because it isn't but at the same time it's not a good one either. I guess the best thing that could be said about the film is that it's a decent time-killer but as to why some call it a classic is beyond me. There's no doubt that the greatest thing the movie has going for it is the performance of Carradine who is pitch-perfect in the role of the killer. Carradine does a wonderful job at playing this crazed man and you can just feel his dark side coming out in the scenes where we actually get to see him kill. Carradine starts off perfectly showing off his charm but slowly that evil comes over him and I found the transition to be perfectly handled. Parker is also quite good in her role, although it's certainly clear that the screenplay doesn't do her too many favors. In Tom Weaver's book on John Carradine he goes over many trims that had to be made due to the Production Code and perhaps the original screenplay would have made for a better movie but as it stands I think there are just way too many problems with the film. The first is the screenplay, which seems to go back and forth in terms of what type of story it wants to tell. We're shown right at the start that Carradine is the killer so any type of mystery is pretty much out the window. What we're basically doing is waiting for the woman to find out before she gets killed and we also have a subplot with a detective trying to locate the killer but this guy seems like he wouldn't be able to find his own house let alone a killer. Another major problem I had with the film is the incredibly annoying soundtrack, which appears to be playing during every second of the 70-minute running time. The bad thing is that it's a rather weak score but the bigger problem is that it plays the entire film and there are many times when the scenes don't need any score at all. Ulmer handles the material fairly well but then again, I'm not at the point where I see all the praise he's been getting over the past several years. Yes, he made "Z" productions look like "B" or "C" films but that doesn't always make them good movies to watch. BLUEBEARD is still worth watching for Carradine's performance but I'm still quite cold on the film itself.

Failed painter turned puppeteer John Carradine (as Gaston Morrell) is secretly terrorizing 19th century Paris, as the serial killer nicknamed "Bluebeard" (since nobody knows who he is, the name is moderately appropriate). After strangling the women, Mr. Carradine dumps them into the river Seine. The reasons for Carradine's homicidal behavior are, later, explained (in a nicely performed scene); predictably, they involve his relationship with women. Carradine's Achilles' heel appears in the form of slim-waisted seamstress Jean Parker (as Lucille). Carradine has stated the title role of "Bluebeard" was his favorite performance. The film's surprisingly weak structure and glaring soundtrack are among the obvious flaws; but, there are some enjoyable and entertaining elements present. The film is directed with style, and includes some fine performances. Carradine's characterization is, obviously, most appealing. There are other players worth watching; and, director Edgar G. Ulmer must deserve great credit. Ms. Parker helps a great deal; her character's approaching spinsterhood helps make the film, and its characters, seem more authentic. Other thirtysomething actresses of the 1940s would have declined the line, "Are you disappointed after seeing me more closely?" Nils Asther (as Lefevre) is another underrated performer appearing; his Parisian inspector, with an eye for art, is outstanding. Also notable is Sonia Sorel (as Renee); she was one of Carradine's wives, and the mother of Keith and Robert. ******* Bluebeard (1944) Edgar G. Ulmer ~ John Carradine, Jean Parker, Nils Asther

Always enjoyed the films of John Carradine and in this film you will see his great acting abilities as a painter who loves to paint beautiful women and gets a thrill out of killing them. John playing the role of Bluebeard is a natural to him with all his expressions and eyes that seem to glow like moons. The law is constantly trying to find this killer and they keep going around in circles. Bluebead meets up with a very attractive girl named Lucille, (Jean Parker) who seems to make him change his ways and he actually falls in love with her and she has no idea just what type of man he is, except that he paints a good picture. This is a great John Carradine Classic which is worth watching after his many horror films over the years of his career.